Semester 1fall
Building the department map…
Building the department map…
Department paths
Courses with no prerequisites inside the department that unlock the most downstream work.
Generated from Brown University’s catalog, prerequisite, and concentration data. Spotted an error? Departments can adjust labels, ordering, and notes without a code change, so contact us.
A suggested order for the 56 courses on the map, built from prerequisite chains and how often each course has run in fall and spring across the last 12 regular terms. It is not the department’s plan, and it is not a promise a course will run. Confirm against the department’s own advising material.
Semester 1fall
Semester 2spring
Semester 3fall
Semester 4spring
Semester 5fall
Semester 6spring
Each of these unlocks the largest share of downstream work on this map. Courses from other departments can appear here when they genuinely gate CPSY coursework.
Intro tiers at the top, advanced work below; arrows point from a prerequisite to the course it unlocks. Courses from other departments appear where they gate CPSY work. Click any course to see what it requires and unlocks without leaving this page; hovering lights up its neighbors. The lists on this page carry the same courses in text form.
Showing the 56 CPSY and feeder courses that have prerequisite links. 42 more CPSY courses have no recorded prerequisites. They are listed under Tracks below, not drawn as loose dots here.
The concentrations and majors that build on CPSY, and how their requirements are structured. Expand a program to see which courses satisfy each group, then plan it in the Planner.
Three CPSY foundation courses3 required · verify with the official sheet
Three foundation courses from the CPSY menu (with the stated restrictions).
Computation course1 required
Four electives4 required · verify with the official sheet
≥1 1000-level CPSY; ≥2 at 1000-level overall.
Capstone1 required · verify with the official sheet
CPSY 1970/1980 or an approved seminar.
Research Methods1 required
Differential equations1 required
Research Methods1 required
Research Methods1 required
Research Methods1 required
Research Methods1 required
Upper-level clusters, grouped by the gateway that opens them.
The deepest prerequisite chains in CPSY. These are the routes that take the most semesters to climb.
4 courses deep, ending at CPSY 1860
3 courses deep, ending at CPSY 1470
2 courses deep, ending at CPSY 1180B
2 courses deep, ending at CPSY 1191
Three CPSY foundation courses3 required · verify with the official sheet
Three foundation courses from the CPSY menu.
Four electives4 required · verify with the official sheet
≥1 1000-level CPSY; ≥2 at 1000-level overall.
NEUR 00101 required
NEUR 10201 required
CSCI 02001 required
NEUR 06801 required
Two upper-level neuroscience electives2 required · verify with the official sheet
Two electives that deepen neuroscience understanding.
Two cognition foundations2 required · verify with the official sheet
Two foundation courses in cognition.
Neuroscience foundation1 required · verify with the official sheet
One foundation course in neuroscience.
Five approved electives5 required · verify with the official sheet
Five advanced cognitive-neuroscience electives.
Two cognition foundations2 required · verify with the official sheet
Two foundation courses in cognition.
Neuroscience foundation1 required · verify with the official sheet
One foundation course in neuroscience.
Five approved electives5 required · verify with the official sheet
Five advanced cognitive-neuroscience electives.
Five foundation courses5 required · verify with the official sheet
Five sub-1000-level CPSY foundation courses (see the handbook for the menu).
Four electives4 required · verify with the official sheet
At least two 1000-level CPSY; up to two from other departments.
Five foundation courses5 required · verify with the official sheet
Five sub-1000-level CPSY foundation courses.
Four electives4 required · verify with the official sheet
At least two 1000-level CPSY; up to two from other departments.
PHYS 00401 required
BIOL 02001 required
CHEM 03301 required
CHEM 03501 required
Intro Neuroscience (NEUR 0010)1 required
Principles of Neurobiology (NEUR 1020)1 required
Neural Systems (NEUR 1030)1 required
Research1 required · verify with the official sheet
One semester of research (independent study, CURE course, or structured program).
All CPSY courses in the Brown catalog
Grade medians are for verified students. Sign in with your school email to see them.
Use your school emailInstructors on CPSY sections in Spring 2027, from the registrar's schedule.
No clubs or organizations on record under CPSY yet.
This shows once five students share their club memberships.
CPSY does not run a page here yet. When it does, its events show up here and on the Brown campus feed.